


Hero, It's Our Fate or Zero!

by Vanitelamort



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: AU - Comic book shop/dnd, M/M, New Friendships, Romance, Sorry if ending is unsatisfying T_T, can't think of other tags, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24662692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanitelamort/pseuds/Vanitelamort
Summary: Hwanwoong was late. Not that it was a new thing that he was late. He was always late but this time he was really late. He slept through three alarms. He cycled as fast as he possibly could, surprised that he hadn't wiped himself out with how fast he went around corners. Finally, he arrived at work, hair slicked down with sweat and his heart beating erratically."Hwanwoong, I'm sorry. You're fired," his manager said, her face trying to hold a professional appearance but Hwanwoong could see the cracks, the sadness. She liked him, he was hard working but he had been giving more than enough warnings. She had no choice and he knew this.Now jobless, Hwanwoong by chance see a "Help Wanted" sign that leads him down a path of new friendships, D&D adventures and maybe romance.
Relationships: Kim Youngjo | Ravn/Yeo Hwanwoong
Comments: 17
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

Hwanwoong was late. Not that it was a new thing that he was late. He was always late but this time he was really late. He slept through three alarms. He cycled as fast as he possibly could, surprised that he hadn't wiped himself out with how fast he went around corners. Finally, he arrived at work, hair slicked down with sweat and his heart beating erratically. 

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he went around the counter and headed to the back to clock in.

"Hwanwoong!" 

Hwanwoong stopped in his tracks, sighing as he turned to face his manager.

"I know, I'm late. Really late," he said, hoping to high heavens that he would just get a warning.

"Hwanwoong, I'm sorry. You're fired," his manager said, her face trying to hold a professional appearance but Hwanwoong could see the cracks, the sadness. She liked him, he was hard working but he had been giving more than enough warnings. She had no choice and he knew this. 

"I'm sorry too. Thank you though, you were always kind to me," Hwanwoong smiled before walking past her and heading back out to his bike, hot tears stinging the corners of his eyes

It had only been a matter of time and he considered himself lucky it was the nice manager firing him and not one of the others. He wouldn't have been able to handle being yelled at and he definitely didn't want to have cried around his now ex-co-workers. 

Pushing the bike as he walked, Hwanwoong wondered what he should do. He needed a new job but so far his track record was horrible. He doubted anyone would want to hire him. He let out a sigh, he needed a new job soon or he would have to ask his parents for help and that he wanted to avoid. They would just force him to go to university to study something like business, he didn't want that. 

He walked past a comic book store and paused. In the window was a help wanted sign. Hwanwoong mulled it over a second before locking his bike at a light post and going inside. He walked by this comic book store many times but never went in before, he wasn't a big comic book fan. It was cozy, deep tone brown colours that felt warm. Shelves lined three walls, full of comics, displays in the centre of the room full of figurines and deep blue couches scattered about. There were a few people around, reading comics, browsing the shelves, chatting. The whole place just had a warm and comfy vibe. 

Hwanwoong walked up to the counter, an older man was sitting on a stool behind the counter. He seemed bored while he was doing something on the computer. He looked over at Hwanwoong as he approached and smiled.

Hwanwoong felt like he had butterflies in his stomach, pausing momentarily. The man before him was very attractive. Hwanwoong forced himself to shake the thoughts out of his head. He was here for a job, not a date. 

"Hi, I saw the help wanted sign in the window," Hwanwoong said with a weak smile. The man frowned for a moment before getting up and going over to the window. He grabbed the sign and sighed.

"Fuck sake, Geonhak," he grumbled under his breath as he walked back to the counter. "I'm sorry. My friend seems to think I need help, says I spend too much time here. Sorry to have wasted your time."

"That's ok," Hwanwoong smiled but he could feel the tears in his eyes, still emotional high strung from being fired. 

"Hey, are you ok?" the man asked, placing a hand on Hwanwoong's shoulder and leaning down to his eye level. 

Hwanwoong shook his head before hiding his face. "I'm sorry. Just been one of those days."

"Come with me, I doubt you want everyone to see you cry. You can sit out back while you calm down."

Hwanwoong nodded, letting the older man guide him out the back of the store. There were two tables, with comics and what looked like game pieces scattered about. Chairs were stacked up against the back wall, only a couple actually at the tables. 

"Hang out back here until you've calmed down," the man smiled. 

"Um, my name is Hwanwoong, by the way."

"Youngjo but mostly everyone calls me Ravn. Apparently my obsession with a certain blue X-men character means it's now my nickname," Ravn chuckled. "Feel free to read any of the comics," and with that he left Hwanwoong alone. 

Hwanwoong sat down and rested his head on the table, tears flowing freely as he let everything just wash over them. Soon falling asleep without even realising it. 

Hwanwoong woke suddenly to someone yelling.

"Ravn," they shouted. "Why is there someone sleeping back here?'

Hwanwoong looked up, seeing a man at the doorway. Ravn soon appeared beside him.

"Forgot he was here," Ravn said with a shrug before walking over to Hwanwoong. "Have you been back here all day?"

"What time is it?" Hwanwoong asked as he stretched. 

"About 5pm," the other man answered. 

"I'm sorry, I'll get out of your hair."

"Do you have somewhere you need to be?" Ravn asked.

"Not really," Hwanwoong answered.

"Well, we could do with a sixth member. Ever play dnd?"

Hwanwoong frowned. "Not since early high school."

"Good enough, don't you think Geonhak?" Ravn grinned.

"Sure but you're helping him," the other man, Geonhak, stated as he started unstacking chairs.

Ravn grabbed one of the chairs and sat beside Hwanwoong, dumping a satchel bag in front of them. 

"So, what did you typically play back then?" Ravn asked as he pulled out a book from the bag. 

"Rogue, I think," Hwanwoong answered. Ravn smiled, sending the butterflies inside Hwanwoong to flutter like mad.

"Excellent, they need a rogue."

Ravn helped Hwanwoong create a character as more people turned up. Hwanwoong ended up with a rogue half-elf, luck being on his side when he rolled the dice for his ability scores. Ravn lent him a set of dice before setting up his DM screen. 

"We're missing someone," he stated, looking around the table. 

"Keonhee is running late," the youngest said. 

"What's new?" The other unknown man said. "By the way, new guy, I'm Seoho."

"Hwanwoong," Hwanwoong smiled. 

"Dongju," the youngest spoke up. 

"Oh and that's Geonhak," Ravn said as he pointed to Geonhak.

"I gathered."

"Hwanwoong is a rogue, he'll join you guys soon. We'll give Keonhee a few more minutes then we'll start," Ravn left the room before coming back with a box. He put it in the middle of the table.

"Find your figures."

Seoho and Dongju went for the box at the same time, Seoho being a fraction quicker and smiling in victory. Dongju glared. Hwanwoong chuckled quietly, happy with how comfortable the group felt. 

"I'm here!" A voice shouted from the front of the store before someone familiar to Hwanwoong came in.

"Oh, hey, I know you," he smiled. "Hwanwoong, right?"

"Yeah, you're Keonhee."

Keonhee's smile widened. 

"You two know each other?" Ravn asked.

"Yeah, we went to highschool together," Keonhee answered.

"We used to play dnd together, before I transferred schools," Hwanwoong added. 

"Always wondered what happened to you, still as short as I remember," Keonhee laughed. Hwanwoong poked his tongue out, remembering how the two would joke around as teens.

"Alright," Ravn clapped his hands together, gaining everyone's attention. "Keonhee, give us a recap."

Keonhee stayed standing. "So, we are on our way back from the cave of doom."

"Why do I bother thinking up great names when you guys just keep using stupid nicknames?' Ravn sighed.

"Because your names are impossible to remember," Dongju quipped.

"Am I recapping or are we going to get into another discussion about Ravn's hard to remember location names?" Keonhee asked. 

"Sorry, continue," Ravn did a small flourish of his hand.

"So we are on our back from the cave of doom when suddenly Xion saw a fox and decided to chase after it to add to his forever growing zoo of animals and got us lost in a forest. We fought a few kobolds and some bandits when we came across a decrepit mansion in the middle of the forest. We were still debating about going in or finding our way out of the forest," Keonhee finished and sat down, grabbing out his things.

"I still think it's a bad idea to go in," Geonhak argued.

"Yeah but we all know your character is an idiot. What's his intelligence again? 8?" Dongju asked. "We should go in and rest. Maybe loot the place a little. Never know what treasures we find."

"I was thinking about it all week and I'm with Dongju on this one," Seoho said with a small shrug. 

"That's three against one," Keonhee announced. "We're going in."

"Alright, so you all go up to the mansion doors. There is a large knocker on the door. What do you do?"

"Blast the doors down," Keonhee answered.

"No!" Dongju, Seoho and Geonhak shouted in unison.

"Last time you did that, you set the entire building on fire," Dongju complained. 

"I still have nightmares!" Geonhak yelled.

Hwanwoong laughed. "I see you haven't changed."

"We'll knock," Seoho said to Ravn. 

"The door swings open, no one is there."

"We'll go in," Dongju announced.

"You'll go in," Seoho corrected. Dongju rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll go in alone."

"Roll an athletics check," Ravn grinned. 

Dongju grabbed his D20 and rolled it. It landed on 1 and the room erupted in laughter. 

"Sucked in," Geonhak laughed, receiving a glare and several smacks to his shoulder. He held his hands up in defense, still laughing.

"The floor beneath you collapses, sending you down into a black pit. Thankfully you only fall six feet. Roll acrobatics to see if you land on your feet."

Dongju rolled again. 

"19 all up," he said, calculating quickly before grabbing the dice. 

"You land on your feet. It's dark, the only light source is above you."

"So anyone gonna help me?" Dongju looked around at everyone. 

"I say we leave him down there," Geonhak suggested. 

"Is there a way around the pit?" Seoho asked Ravn.

"The pit is about 8 ft across, so you can try and jump it."

"Can I check to see if it was a trap?" 

"No need, you can tell just by looking that the floorboards are old and rotten. Xion's weight made them collapse."

"I say light a torch, see what's around you in the pit. Might be more worth going down over trying to jump across."

Dongju sighed. "Fine, I light a torch."

"The room illuminates, it's a lot bigger than you realised. In a far corner you see a sleeping form."

"I walk over to it," Dongju said.

Ravn smiled. "It's a half-elf, seemingly asleep."

"I kick him."

"Hwanwoong, this is you. You've been kicked by an elf."

"I guess I wake up," Hwanwoong shrugged. "And ask who the hell you are and why the hell did you kick me?" Hwanwoong asked as he looked over at Dongju. 

"Xion and because I felt like it," Dongju smirked back at Hwanwoong. "Who are you?"

"Woongie."

"Why are you down here in the dark?" 

Hwanwoong thought back to what he had discussed with Ravn about his back story.

"I was trapped, been here two days. Are you the rescue?"

"I shout back at the other, 'There's a half-elf down here.'" Dongju looked at everyone else. 

"Alright but are there any doors down there?" Seoho asked.

Dongju looked over at Ravn.

"There isn't."

"No," Dongju answered back, looking at Seoho.

"Come back and I'll throw a rope down." 

The game went on for a few hours, Hwanwoong's character joining up with the group and them deciding to leave the mansion alone. Hwanwoong enjoyed himself, smiling happily as the game went on until they finally ended after receiving a new quest.

"Alright, we'll wrap it up here. Did you enjoy yourself Hwanwoong?" Ravn asked with a smile. 

"Yeah heaps, thanks for letting me join," Hwanwoong smiled back.

"Think nothing of it. We meet weekly if you want to join us again and you're more than welcome to."

"I'll think about it."

Hwanwoong watched as the other's packed away. Helping when it got to the chairs and stacking them all back up. The others left, leaving Hwanwoong and Ravn the last ones as they cleaned the tables.

"You didn't have to help," Ravn said.

"It's not like I need to get home in a hurry," Hwanwoong commented. 

"Live alone?"

Hwanwoong nodded. "Since I graduated high school. Mostly because if I stayed at home my parents would have forced me to do what they want me to do in university."

"But you obviously have other plans?" Ravn asked. The two had finished cleaning and walked back to the front of the store.

"Yeah," Hwanwoong sighed. "But I'm not having luck, got fired today and it's not the first time. I'm notorious for being late, just never able to wake up in the morning."

"Hey, look. Geonhak has been pestering me for ages to get someone to help me run the store. I've been fighting against it because I don't particularly feel like I need help but I do see his point about me needing breaks. I work hard for this place, it's my dream if I'm honest. You got along with everyone really well, even when they bickered. I like that about someone, because if you were to work here you would have to put up with them a lot. Half the time they are here to just hang out back and I swear they make it their life mission to annoy me. Anyway, that's beside the point, would you want to work here? I won't make you work mornings and I'm not going to be too bothered if you are late so long as you let me know as soon as possible. What do you think?" Ravn asked as they headed outside.

Hwanwoong could feel the tears welling up, happy tears this time. He nodded, not sure if he could speak properly at that moment. 

Ravn chuckled. "Cool, come in tomorrow. Whenevs. We'll sort it out then."

"Thank you," Hwanwoong managed to squeak out, feeling his ears going red in embarrassment. 

"Don't mention it. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Hwanwoong smiled. "See you then."

Hwanwoong unchained his bike and waved goodbye to Ravn before cycling off.


	2. Chapter 2

Hwanwoong felt nervous as he stood outside of Ravn's comic book store. He had spent five minutes standing there, trying to work up the nerves of going inside. He felt flustered, left over feelings from the dreams that plagued him during the night. All involving Ravn. It had been a long time since he had vivid dreams about another person. Now he had to face that person. He wondered if he could just ghost and find work somewhere else. 

"Hey, Hwanwoong."

Hwanwoong looked up, seeing Geonhak and Dongju walking towards him.

"Oh, hi," Hwanwoong said back meekly. He cursed his luck, now he had no choice but to go in. 

"Ravn mentioned he's hiring you to help him out. Finally," Geonhak chuckled. "Let's go in."

"Yeah, let's," Hwanwoong muttered as the three entered the store. Ravn was sitting behind the counter, reading a comic. He looked up as they entered and smiled. 

"Hey guys," he said. Geonhak and Dongju said their hellos back before heading to the back area. 

"How are you today, Hwanwoong?" Ravn asked. 

"Nervous," Hwanwoong admitted. 

"Ah you don't need to be. This job is easy. Come here," Ravn got off the stool and stood aside so Hwanwoong could sit in it. He tried his best to ignore how close the other man was to him as he sat on the stool. Ravn leaned over him, showing him how to use the computer for sales. Hwanwoong felt hyper aware of the other man, the warmth of Ravn's body pressed against his back, Ravn's breath behind his ear as he talked and the scent of whatever cologne Ravn was wearing, Hwanwoong couldn't figure out the scent but it smelt good. 

"You know you're torturing the poor boy."

Ravn stepped back as they both looked up to see Seoho.

"How am I torturing him?" Ravn asked, his brow creased. 

Seoho raised an eyebrow. "Can't you see his ears?"

Ravn looked at Hwanwoong, who at this point was trying to shrink out of existence. He was feeling flustered. 

"Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting about personal space," Ravn apologised, looking sheepish at his actions.

"That's ok," Hwanwoong said quietly.

"Geonhak and Dongju are out back," Ravn gestured over his shoulder to the door.

"Didn't think Geonhak was going to turn up with how badly I beat him last time," Seoho smirked.

"You know how stubborn he is when it comes to you two and your games," Ravn chuckled.

"He's a sucker for pain," Seoho walked away, heading out back. 

"You'll get used to them being around, cause they will be around a lot," Ravn grinned. "They're great people though. I'm sure you will all become fast friends."

Hwanwoong smiled back. Ravn went back to showing him the computer, trying to be more careful on being so close to Hwanwoong. The two talked about Hwanwoong availability, the events Ravn ran in store and eventually the subject moved onto their interests. Over the entire time he was there, he felt himself getting more comfortable around Ravn, the dreams just a fading memory. By the time the store closed up, Ravn was showing Hwanwoong his favourite comics. Hwanwoong knew a few of them, mostly from the movies but smiled as he listened to Ravn rant on about everything. 

"You know just because he's paying you, doesn't mean you have to listen to him," Seoho said as he, Dongju and Geonhak came from the back, finding Hwanwoong and Ravn sitting together on one of the couches.

"I don't mind. I'm finding it interesting," Hwanwoong smiled. 

"Blink twice if he's holding you hostage," Dongju joked. 

"Ha ha, you know some people actually do find comic books interesting," Ravn said. 

"You keep telling yourself that and maybe it'll come true," Geonhak grinned. "We're going out for drinks. You two want to come?" 

"I'm game," Ravn smiled as he stood. They all looked at Hwanwoong. 

"I guess, if it's alright," he said timidly. 

"Well, if you're going to work here you might as well be initiated into the group. We will be the people you see the most," Geonhak stated. "So of course it's alright."

Ravn and Hwanwoong got up from the couch, following the other three as they left the store. Ravn, staying behind for a second to lock up before jogging to catch up with them. 

"Keonhee is going to meet us at the pub. Apparently it's karaoke night," Dongju said, looking back at Ravn and Hwanwoong who were walking behind the others.

"So singles or doubles?" Geonhak asked. 

"Depends," Ravn replied before looking at Hwanwoong. "Want to join us for karaoke?" 

"Sure, I love singing," Hwanwoong smiled. 

"Excellent, let's do doubles. I'll pair up with Hwanwoong."

Hwanwoong was grateful it was late and already getting dark, hiding his blushing face. 

"Risking it with the newbie? Sounds like you," Seoho chuckled. 

"You're just jealous you didn't get to pick him first," Ravn grinned. 

"I'm with Geonhak," Dongju announced. 

"Fine, I'll be with Keonhee then," Seoho sighed. 

They reached the pub, Keonhee waiting out front with a cigarette. He smiled and waved at the approaching group.

"You know those will kill you, right?" Seoho asked as he took the lit smoke from Keonhee's mouth. He took a quick drag before handing it back.

"Everything and anything can kill me," Keonhee quipped, gratefully taking the cigarette back. "Woongie! Good to see you again," the taller man grinned. 

"You too," Hwanwoong smiled. Keonhee finished off his cigarette before the group all headed inside. Ravn immediately grabbed one of the song books, opening it up between him and Hwanwoong. 

"I'll let you pick our first song," Ravn smiled. The butterflies inside of Hwanwoong began reeking havoc as the shorter man focused on the book. 

"Have you seen the Greatest Showman?" Hwanwoong asked as he stopped on a page with the musical's songs.

"Yeah, what are you thinking?"

"The Other Side. You be Jackman and I'll be Efron," Hwanwoong suggested, looking up at Ravn to see his reaction. He was smiling. 

"I like it, sure. I'll enter us," Ravn handed the book over to Keonhee before heading up to the DJ. Hwanwoong felt nervous and excited at the prospect of singing with Ravn. 

"You like him, don't you?" Seoho asked as he sat next to Hwanwoong, startling the younger man. 

"What? I mean, yeah he's a nice guy and gave me a job. Would be weird to work for him if I didn't like him right?" Hwanwoong laughed nervously. 

"Not what I meant and I think you know that," Seoho said with a knowing smile.

"I mean, he's attractive and it's making me flustered but I'm sure that'll settle down in a few days," Hwanwoong smiled weakly. 

"If you say so."

"What are you two talking about?" Ravn asked as he leaned on the table. 

"Just our next dnd game," Seoho answered with a smile. 

"You better not be roping him into your weird ass cult," Ravn warned, pointing a finger at Seoho who put his hands up in defense. 

"All will bow down to the great and powerful Pepe," Seoho grinned. Ravn rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Hwanwoong.

"What's your poison? I'll shout your first drink," he said. 

"Oh, you don't have to, I can buy it myself," Hwanwoong spoke quickly, faster then he intended. He wanted to facepalm himself with how bad he was at keeping his cool around Ravn.

"Pfft, thinking nothing of it," Ravn smiled. 

"Just some cider," Hwanwoong answered timidly. 

"You want to know what would be amusing?" Seoho asked once Ravn was out of earshot. 

"What?" Hwanwoong questioned. 

"If you start chanting 'Pepe, glorious pepe' at the next game, seriously, do it," Seoho grinned. Hwanwoong couldn't help but snicker.

"I'll think about it."

"Roped another disciple in?" Keonhee asked as he dropped down in the seat next to Seoho. "Ravn is going to kill you, both in real life and in game."

"Won't stop the rise of our glorious leader," Seoho pointed out. 

"I swear to all that is holy and just, Seoho," Ravn growled as he sat down next to Hwanwoong and placed a bottle in front of him. "I will put a stop to that cult of yours."

Seoho grinned happily. The rest of the night went too quickly for Hwanwoong's liking. He enjoyed every moment of karaoke, from singing duets with Ravn, to Keonhee and Seoho adding a Pepe fanchant to their song choices, much to the annoyance of the rest of the group, to Geonhak and Dongju singing romantic ballads together, their voices complimented each other perfectly. 

The group were stumbling together somewhere, all happily drunk. Hwanwoong wasn't too sure where they were heading but didn't want to go home just yet. Seoho and Keonhee were happily chanting about their glorious leader, Ravn rolled his eyes at them but didn't seem overly bothered as he walked closely by Hwanwoong's side. Dongju and Geonhak were lagging behind, the younger man clinging onto the older. 

"We typically all go back to Dongju's house," Ravn said as they walked, sensing the unasked question that had been lingering on Hwanwoong's mind. "After we've been drinking. Mostly so we can all suffer the hangover together."

"Is it alright for me to join?" Hwanwoong asked, he did look back ato Dongju but the younger man was too busy teasing Geonhak.

"Of course, it's a part of the initiation into our group," Ravn grinned. "Though, you may have to share a bed with someone."

"I can just sleep on the ground," Hwanwoong stated. 

Ravn shrugged. "Your choice."

The drunken group made it to a two story house, Dongju unclinging himself from Geonhak to let them all in. He put a finger to his lips to shush them as they went in, but it did little to keep the group quiet as they all took their shoes off. Even Dongju fell into a bundle of giggles by the time they stumbled into the living room. 

"Seriously, can you just warn me if you're going to come home drunk?" Someone said as they walked out into the living room. 

"This is Dongju's twin, Dongmyeong," Ravn said. Dongmyeong looked over at him at the mention of his name and noticed Hwanwoong. 

"Hi there, you're new. He's not a straggler from the pub right?" Dongmyeong looked at Ravn. 

"He's my new worker and the newest member of our group," Ravn answered. 

"Oh, that's ok then," Dongmyeong smiled, looking back at Hwanwoong. "Pleased to meet you."

"Hi, I'm Hwanwoong," Hwanwoong smiled. 

"Welcome to the disaster that is this friend group," Dongmyeong chuckled. "If you find it too much, feel free to come join my group. Afterall, Yonghoon-hyung is a much better DM."

Ravn scoffed, placing a hand over his chest offended. "I could DM circles around him and you know it."

"Sure, sure," Dongmyeong waved over his shoulder as he disappeared back down the hallway. 

"Rival dnd groups?" Hwanwoong asked curious.

"Nah, but they do like to think they are better. During the holidays we join together and Yonghoon-hyung and I make a holiday theme campaign for everyone to play in. Absolute havoc but absolute fun at the same time," Ravn smiled. 

"Let's sleep," Dongju announced as he began dragging Geonhak away. 

"Sleep does sound good," Keonhee agreed, following after them. Seoho tagged along. 

"There's two spare bedrooms in this house," Ravn explained with a smile. "And the sofa folds out into a bed so that's where I'm sleeping. You're welcome to share. It's pretty big."

Ravn walked over to the sofa and took off the seat cushions before pulling out the fold away futon. He then disappeared down the hallway for a moment, before returning with pillows and blankets. Hwanwoong felt unsure, wondering if it was a good idea to share a bed with Ravn. He thought about getting a taxi home but going home to an empty apartment didn't sit well. Reluctantly, he made his way to the futon, sitting on it and taking his jacket off. 

He felt the weight of Ravn sitting on the opposite side of the futon as it shifted the mattress. Hwanwoong looked over at Ravn, watching the older man put down the pillows. 

"Thank you," Hwanwoong said timidly as he laid down, lying on his side facing Ravn. 

"All good," Ravn smiled as he threw a blanket over Hwanwoong before lying down himself and putting a separate rug on. "I don't think I snore much, hopefully I don't wake you up."

"I'm a heavy sleeper, I should be fine," Hwanwoong smiled weakly. Being so close to Ravn, seeing his eyes up close and his soft looking lips, made Hwanwoong want to lean forward and kiss him. It wasn't until he felt Ravn's hand against his lips did he realise he actually tried kissing the older man. 

"Sorry, don't want drunk you to scare sober you away from working with me," Ravn said with a smile, appearing unfazed by the younger man almost kissing him. Hwanwoong could feel his face going red as it heated up. 

"I'm sorry," Hwanwoong said before rolling over, curling up and hiding under his blanket. "I don't know what came over me."

"Try not to overthink it. I've done stupid things while drunk. Alcohol strips away all reasonable thinking," Ravn chuckled softly. This didn't do much to lessen Hwanwoong's embarrassment. He closed his eyes, deciding he needed to sleep and hoping he was drunk enough for the embarrassing moment to be wiped from his memories. 


	3. Chapter 3

Hwanwoong woke up with a start, Dongju was leaning over him and had been shaking his shoulders. At first he was confused as to why the younger man was in his room before remembering he had spent the night at Dongju's.

"Sorry, Youngjo-hyung messaged asking me to wake you," Dongju explained as he let Hwanwoong's shoulders go and step back. Hwanwoong noticed that Ravn was no longer sleeping next to him. 

"He left earlier," Dongju said. "Told us to let you sleep originally but now he wants you at the shop."

"Oh," Hwanwoong finally said. "Thank you."

"Seoho-hyung mentioned you like Youngjo-hyung," Dongju sat down on the futon. "Is it true?"

Hwanwoong's eyes widened. "What? No, I don't," he spoke quickly, heat creeping up his face. 

"Pity, because he likes you."

Hwanwoong looked at Dongju surprised. "Really?" He asked, his voice a little hopeful. 

"I mean, I'm pretty sure he does," Dongju corrected himself with a sly smile. "But you just gave away your feelings for him."

Hwanwoong frowned at the younger man. 

"I think you should ask him out," Dongju said. 

"I can't do that," Hwanwoong sighed, drawing his knees up so he could hug them. "I can't just ask him out. He's my boss now and if he says no, it'll be awkward."

"More awkward than this?" Dongju asked as he held his phone up, showing a picture of Hwanwoong and Ravn sleeping. Hwanwoong was practically lying on top of Ravn. Hwanwoong's face went red. 

"Did he wake up while I was like that?"

"Mmhmm," Dongju confirmed with a hum. "We were surprised he didn't wake you getting you off. He was a bit flustered by it, it was cute to see."

Hwanwoong couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it. He wasn't sure how he could face Ravn after that. He couldn't lose another job after just getting it. 

"Stop panicking," Dongju demanded, strangely snapping Hwanwoong out of his growing panic attack. "Just ask him out."

Hwanwoong frowned at Dongju. "I can't just ask him out," he argued. 

Dongju rolled his eyes as he got up. "Whatever, but I swear to Pepe, if I hear or see any pining for Ravn or vice versa, I will interfere," he walked away, leaving Hwanwoong alone. 

Hwanwoong got out of bed, thoughts swirling through his mind of what he should do. He collected up his things and left Dongju's house, offering a weak goodbye as he walked past Geonhak who was in the kitchen. He sent a quick message to Ravn, saying he won't be long as he made his way home. He wished he had his bike but he had left it chained up out front of Ravn's store so now he had to walk. 

The upside of walking was it gave Hwanwoong time to think. The walk home he thought about what to do with the awkwardness from snuggling with Ravn in his sleep. The walk to the store, after he had showered and changed, he thought about what Dongju said. He wondered if it could be that easy, if he could just ask Ravn out. Would the older man even be interested. Hwanwoong couldn't think of any moment that would make him believe so. 

Ravn gave Hwanwoong a grin as he entered the store. 

"Finally, I know it's like your second day here but I really need you to look after the place for the rest of the day," Ravn said. 

"Oh, that's ok," Hwanwoong smiled. "I can do that."

"Thank you," Ravn grabbed his satchel bag and handed Hwanwoong keys. "Just lock up when you leave. I have a second set so you don't need to worry about me getting back in."

Hwanwoong took the keys, smiling fondly at the keychain attached to it. An enamel black cat, licking its paw. It was cute and felt suitable to Ravn. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," Ravn said as he headed to the door. "Keonhee is in the back, he can help you if anything happens."

"Ok, bye," Hwanwoong gave a small wave as Ravn left. He was grateful that there was no awkwardness in their short exchange but also disappointed he didn't get a bit more time with Ravn. He shook the thought from his head as he went to the counter. 

The day went by quickly, with Hwanwoong serving a few customers and making some sales. By the time he went to lock up, he had almost forgotten that Keonhee was still out the back. He locked the front door so no one could come in and headed to the back room to find the other man. Keonhee was sitting at one of the tables, small figures spread around him along with small pots of paint. He looked at Hwanwoong and smiled. 

"Hey," he said before going back to painting a figure. Hwanwoong walked over to the table and sat down.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he picked up one of the already painted figures. 

"Painting," Keonhee answered. "It's one of my incomes."

"You're getting paid to do this?" Hwanwoong raised an eyebrow at Keonhee.

Keonhee looked at him and grinned. "Yep. Ravn-hyung lets me promote my work here and so long as I give him a small percentage, I'm allowed to use this room to paint."

"Cool," Hwanwoong put the figure back down and picked up one of the comics that was on the other table. The two fell into a comfortable silence while Keonhee worked and Hwanwoong read the comic. It wasn't until Keonhee's stomach started growling that he finally talked again.

"Want to come get something to eat with me?" Keonhee asked. Hwanwoong looked up from the comic.

"Sure," he answered. The two packed up and headed out. Keonhee led Hwanwoong to a nearby diner, telling him it was a common dinner spot for the group. Hwanwoong didn't have any protest, he was happy to hang out with the other. As they ate, they talked about what they had both been up to since the last time they saw each other, it felt nice to Hwanwoong. He had honestly never thought he would run into Keonhee again but despite the years apart, they connected like old friends. After dinner they went for a short walk while Keonhee had a smoke. 

"Do you smoke?" Keonhee asked, offering Hwanwoong a cigarette. 

"No, well not anymore," Hwanwoong answered. Keonhee shrugged as he put the packet away and lit the cigarette in his mouth. 

"I really should quit," he commented after blowing smoke out. "My boyfriend keeps telling me too. Wants us to grow old together," Keonhee rolled his eyes. "Barely been official for a month and he's already planning the rest of our lives," he chuckled fondly. 

"That's really cute," Hwanwoong commented.

"Yeah," Keonhee smiled. "Are you dating anyone?"

Hwanwoong shook his head. "No, never had luck with all of that."

"Really? That's surprising," Keonhee blew out some smoke. Hwanwoong looked up at him with a frown. 

"Why is that surprising?" He asked.

"Because you're absolutely adorable and still very much the same kind soul from back in High school. It's just surprising you've had no luck with dating, unless your flaw is you date arseholes who don't see your value."

"No, my flaw is I'm too shy to ask anyone out and typically will suppress any crush I form," Hwanwoong admitted sheepishly.

"Does that mean you're not going to ask Ravn-hyung out? Because you two looked really adorable this morning."

"Not you too," Hwanwoong groaned. "I can't just ask him out."

Keonhee shrugged. "If you say so."

"I'm going to head home. I had fun," Hwanwoong smiled. 

"Same," Keonhee agreed. They waved goodbye and parted ways. Hwanwoong made his way back to the shop to get his bike. 

~~~

Woongie, the half-elf rogue, enjoyed one thing, and that was messing with the guard of every town the group visited. The tiefling sorcerer, Olaf and half-elf bard, Gunminie, happily encourage it, much to the dismay of the human barbarian, Leedo who just wanted to continue on with their quest without risking a night in jail. The Elf ranger/druid, Xion, was too busy coaxing a cat out of the alley to help stop Woongie. 

"Guards are annoying, they need to be put in their place," Woongie argued. 

"We have a quest to do, we don't have time to spike the guards' ale with hallucinogenic pollen," Leedo whisper-shouted, not wanting to gain unwanted attention.

"Do it!" Olaf encouraged Woongie.

"Do it in the name of Pepe," Gunminie added in. 

_ "For fuck sake," sighed the disembodied voice of the DM. _

"Look, let me spike the ale real quick and then we can go investigate the strange lights in the mountains," Woongie grinned. 

"No," Leedo growled.  _ "I'm going to roll intimidation to get Hwanwoong to listen to me." _

_ "Go ahead." _

_ Dice clattered on the table.  _

_ "23 all up." _

_ "Hwanwoong." _

_ Laughter erupted as the D20 landed on 1.  _

"Ok, ok, big scary barbarian. Let's go," Woongie grumbled. Satisfied, Leedo led the group up the path to the mountains. 

"Olaf, we should make a shrine up here for our glorious god," Gunminie grinned. 

"Oh! Yes," Olaf agreed happily. 

The group encountered a fork in the path. There were signs but they were too worn away for them to make out any words. 

"Which way should we go?" Xion asked. Leedo looked from the left path to the right one.

"Left is going up, we need to go up the mountain so let's go that way."

Everyone else agreed, none of them finding any fault with his deduction and also not wanting to stand around arguing for the next half an hour. They walked over a few metres when an arrow struck Gunminie. Four kobolds jumped out of cover, attacking the group. Two more kobolds stood a few metres away with bows. Olaf and Xion focused on the ranger kobolds while Woongie, Leedo and Gunminie fought the fighter kobolds. The battle didn't last long, the kobolds being easily dispatched. 

"Nothing like a bit of a warm up," Leedo commented. 

"Something is wrong," Olaf stated as he looked over the kobolds. A glowing mist was beginning to swirl around the kobolds, each one stood back up with glowing eyes. Their wounds were healing up.

"And that's the game," Ravn announced. "It's late."

"Aww, it was getting interesting," Keonhee pouted. 

"Well if you and Seoho didn't spend so long trying to convert villagers and egging Hwanwoong on, maybe you would have had more time for a second encounter," Ravn stated as he began packing up his DM screen. 

"Still, we got four new followers," Seoho smiled. "Pretty good."

Ravn rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I let you two do this each game."

"Because secretly deep down, you also worship the glorious Pepe," Seoho winked. Ravn just scoffed before looking at Hwanwoong.

"You seem to be settling in well," he smiled. The butterflies inside of Hwanwoong took flight at his smile. 

"Yeah, this group is very welcoming," Hwanwoong smiled in return. He still had his conversations with Dongju and Keonhee on his mind and it wasn't helping in the slightest every time he was around the older man. 

"Well let's leave it to the employees to clean up," Dongju announced as he began pushing Geonhak towards the door.

"That's not really nice, Dongju," Geonhak said but he made no attempt to resist. Keonhee and Seoho followed after them, saying goodbye to Ravn and Hwanwoong. 

Ravn sighed as he began packing away everything. Hwanwoong helped him quietly. 

"You don't need to help me," Ravn said with a smile. It almost felt like deja vu for Hwanwoong. 

"I don't mind," he responded. 

"It's been a good week having you here helping," Ravn commented as he stacked the chairs away. "Honestly, you've been a godsend."

Hwanwoong blushed. "I've enjoyed it. It's a lot more easy paced compared to my old jobs."

"No point being uppity. If the store fails, it's on me not you so no point putting any unnecessary on you."

Hwanwoong smiled, the two falling back in silence as they finished packing up. As they left the store, Hwanwoong found himself staring up at the near full moon. 

"Gorgeous tonight, isn't it?" Ravn asked. Hwanwoong nodded. 

"Are you in a hurry to get home at all?" 

"No," Hwanwoong answered. 

"Want to come for a drive with me?" Ravn smiled. Hwanwoong was taken aback for a moment before answering in a quiet voice.

"Ok."


	4. Chapter 4

Neither spoke during the drive, allowing music to fill the car. Hwanwoong watched out the window as they left the inner city, going more out into the suburbs before the houses became more sparse. It was once they were out in the country that Hwanwoong finally decided to talk.

"Where are we going?"

Ravn chuckled. "Was wondering how long until you asked that," he said as he turned the music down. "I want to go see the stars, they're hard to see in the city and the moon just looks too gorgeous to pass up the opportunity."

"Oh, why did you invite me?" Hwanwoong asked next. Ravn looked at him with a smile but didn't answer as he turned the music back up. The smile was enough to make Hwanwoong feel flustered. He went back to looking out the window, feeling nervous as his heart was beating faster than normal. 

They finally parked on top of a cliff that overlooked a forest. A strange thought that Ravn was going to kill him went through Hwanwoong's mind, which he shook out knowing it would be ridiculous. There were so many easier ways to kill him rather than taking him to a cliff and pushing him off. 

"You coming?" Ravn asked, peering into the car and breaking Hwanwoong from his train of murder thoughts.

"Yeah," Hwanwoong replied sheepishly as he got out of the car. He followed Ravn over to the edge and sat down beside him. Ravn was looking up at the sky with a smile on his face, Hwanwoong followed his gaze and was in awe of the thousand upon millions of stars in the night sky. 

"This is beautiful," Hwanwoong exclaimed.

"Yeah," Ravn smiled. The shorter man was so engrossed in the stars to notice the other looking at him. The two laid down, watching the stars with Ravn pointing out constellations he knew. It was quiet and tranquil, Hwanwoong finding himself relaxed and content, even when Ravn would smile at him. It felt almost like a date but without the actual nervousness of a date. 

Because it wasn't a date, Hwanwoong told himself. They were simply stargazing, simply friends. 

"I know it's only been a week but I've really been enjoying my time working with you," Hwanwoong said. "And getting to know everyone. And meeting Keonhee again. I don't have many friends so it's nice to gain a whole new group."

"We all love having you around, it's a breath of fresh air and we all feel like you're filling a spot we didn't know was empty," Ravn said as he looked at Hwanwoong with a smile. Hwanwoong smiled back. 

They were lying close to each other, their shoulders touching. It was close enough for Ravn to close the distance and kiss Hwanwoong softly. The younger man's mind felt like it was short circuiting as his heart felt like it was trying to break out of his ribcage.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Ravn whispered. Hwanwoong sat up, not sure how to process what just happened. Ravn sat up too, looking at Hwanwoong with worried eyes. 

"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have done that," he said, looking away. "We should probably head off."

Ravn got up and walked over to the car. Hwanwoong lingered for a moment longer, touching his lips softly as his mind finally began to function again. Ravn had kissed him, did he mean to do it or was he just caught in a moment. Hwanwoong forced himself to get up and followed Ravn to the car. He got in, not sure if he should say anything. Ravn looked concerned as he started the car up and turned on the radio, but he didn't say a thing. He drove Hwanwoong home, neither talking the entire way and only said a simple goodbye once he dropped Hwanwoong off. 

"Bye," Hwanwoong said meekly, waving him goodbye before running inside to hide.

It had been two days since that night and so far Ravn had told Hwanwoong he didn't need to come in. So now he was with Dongju and Keonhee at Keonhee's apartment, wearing face masks and chilling to Frozen. Dongju was giving the movie the most attention while Keonhee and Hwanwoong talked in quiet tones. 

"The other night, Ravn-hyung took me to see the star," Hwanwoong said.

Keonhee frowned. "After dnd?"

"Yeah. So while we were star gazing, he kissed me," Hwanwoong admitted, not looking at the taller man. 

"WHAT?" Keonhee shouted, receiving a glare from Dongju. "Ravn-hyung kissed you, as in Kim Youngjo, as in the owner of Valkyrie Comics and Games, as in technically your boss kissed you?"

Dongju's attention was pulled away from the movie entirely as he joined in. "Oh my god, what happened next? Was there tongue?"

Hwanwoong felt his face heat up. "No! It was a peck if anything. He apologised afterwards, saying he shouldn't have done it and then he took me home. We didn't talk about it or anything and now he's told me not to come in for two days so far."

"Alright, we're interfering," Dongju decided. "We're going to Youngjo-hyung and you're going to confess to him. Because this isn't going anywhere otherwise and I'm sick of the way Youngjo-hyung looks every time you're not paying attention."

"He doesn't look at me, does he?" Hwanwoong asked, looking from Dongju to Keonhee. 

"He does, a lot. We tried to talk to him about it but he told us we're just imagining it or some other bullshit excuse," Keonhee answered. "You two are just as bad as each other. Perfect match."

"Ok, we're going to the store right now," Dongju decided. "They should be playing that warhammer game."

"No, no, no, please, can't you both just drop it. I'm sure you're both reading into it too much. It was a beautiful night and I guess he got caught in the moment. I don't want to make things more awkward between us. I doubt he actually likes me," Hwanwoong said, dropping his head and avoiding looking at the other two. "It'll just be better if I push this crush away."

"No, I'm not letting you do that, Hwanwoong," Keonhee stated, grabbing the shorter man's chin and forcing him to look up. "Ravn-hyung likes you, we all know he does but he thinks like you. He doesn't think you would like him back."

"We're going and that's that," Dongju said as he took his facemask off and rubbed in the remaining liquid on his face. Hwanwoong sighed defeated as he took his own facemask off. 

"Fine," he muttered, making both of the others smile. 

The closer the three got to the comic book shop, the more anxious Hwanwoong felt. He had never confessed his feelings to anyone before and he wasn't sure if he would be able to today, even with Keonhee and Dongju pushing him. 

"I can't do this," he decided as they reached the store. 

"Too late," Dongju stated as Keonhee opened the door and the younger man pushed Hwanwoong through. Geonhak was sitting in the main store, behind the counter. He looked up at the three as they entered. 

"Oh good, finally forced him to come here," Geonhak said with a smile. "Ravn-hyung is in the back."

"Could you please get him for us?" Dongju asked. Geonhak sighed but didn't make any more sound of protest as he got up and went out the back to grab Ravn. 

He soon returned with the owner in tow. Ravn paused momentarily when he saw Hwanwong, their eyes locking before they both looked away. 

"Hwanwoong has something to say," Keonhee pushed the shorter man forward, making him stumble before he looked back with a glare. 

"I hope you're not here to quit," Ravn said softly. "I'm sorry if I made things awkward the other night."

"Shush, hyung. Let him talk," Dongju said. 

Hwanwoong took a deep breath before looking up at Ravn. 

"Ravn-hyung," he said to get the older man to look at him. "You didn't make things awkward. I was surprised by the kiss but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. I… um… I really like you." 

Hwanwoong could feel his entire face heat up as he waited for Ravn to say something back. He began wondering, as the seconds ticked by like hours, if he should have just suppressed it all. Ravn looked surprised by the confession, uncertain and lost in thought. The silence between them felt deafening. 

"Say something," Geonhak muttered, nudging Ravn. Ravn looked at Geonhak for a moment before turning back to Hwanwoong. 

"Sorry, I think my brain just stopped working," Ravn chuckled sheepishly. "I don't want you feeling like you need to like me because I'm your boss."

"That's not the reason for it. I've had these feelings since I first saw you," Hwanwoong admitted quietly. "I've just never been someone who could confess their feelings for another."

"Oh," Ravn started to smile. "So you really actually like me?"

"Yes," Keonhee, Dongju and Geonhak all said in unison. 

"Honestly been obvious since the beginning," Seoho commented from the doorway, having come out from the back room. "Was wondering why Geonhak needed you, didn't think it was because Hwanwoong was going to confess his feelings otherwise I would have been out here sooner."

Ravn let out a sigh. "Ok, this isn't a spectator sport. All of you, get, I'm closing up shop."

Dougju mumbled a complaint as Geonhak started pushing him out to leave, followed by Keonhee and Seoho. Ravn locked the door behind them before turning back to Hwanwoong. 

"I was worried I made things awkward," Ravn confessed. "After the other night, I got caught up with how amazing you looked and I couldn't stop myself. I just wanted to kiss you so I did and you didn't seem to react well nor did you say anything about it so I wasn't so sure. I like you too, Hwanwoong and I've been wanting to ask you out but felt unsure seeing as like I said before, I'm your boss. Felt like it wouldn't be right, that you might only return my feelings to ensure you kept your job so I've been ignoring my feelings," he paused for a moment. "Would you want to date me?"

Hwanwoong looked at Ravn with a smile and nodded. "Yeah I do."

"Cool, if you don't mind being patient I'll find some time for us to have a date," Ravn promised. 

"Ok."

"Um, I probably should let them back in," Ravn chuckled, looking nervous. "Still have a game on with Seoho."

"Oh, right, yeah," Hwanwoong smiled, feeling nervous as well. But he was also happy and looking forward to the date. It felt exciting and anxiety inducing, but mostly exciting. An actual date. It would be his first official date and he could feel himself bubbling with positive energy. He honestly couldn't wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I keep feeling like I'm not writing well with these stories and I probably put a lot of unneeded pressure on myself because I know so far yall have been enjoying my fics. I just don't want to disappoint people so I hope you enjoy this chapter <33


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW // Sexual Assault ?? (Not overly sure but figured this should be here in case)

Woongie was the last one standing. The boss, a Blue Dragon Wyrming, was on its last health points but if Woongie failed his next attack, the party was as good as dead. 

_"Believe in the heart of the cards,"_ _Seoho said as Hwanwoong went to roll his dice._

_ "But he has dice," Keonhee pointed out. _

_ "Fine, believe in the heart of the dice." _

_ Hwanwoong rolled his eyes before rolling his dice. Natural 20. The group cheered.  _

Woongie attacked the wyrming, delivering the final blow and killing the creature. The day was won and Woongie debated on helping his fellow party members or returning to the village to get the reward to himself.

_ "Don't be a dick," Keonhee laughed.  _

_ "Fine," Hwanwoong chuckled. "I will heal everyone." _

With the party healed, they made their way back to the village, receiving their reward. 

"Alright, end of game. Next week will be a combined game with Yonghoon's group," Ravn announced. "Just for fun mostly." 

"You'll finally get to meet the rest of Myeong's group," Dongju said, looking at Hwanwoong. 

"They're our rivals though, in game," Seoho stated. "They don't believe in our glorious leader Pepe, they worship a game boy or something."

"They worship B-MO," Dongju whispered to Hwanwoong. 

"I hope you guys don't turn the campaign into another cult war," Ravn sighed. 

"I'm not promising anything," Seoho stated as he packed his things away and stood up. "You going to be painting in store tomorrow Keonhee?" 

"Yeah, finishing up your order so you can take them in the afternoon," Keonhee smiled, also packing his stuff and standing up.

"Sweet, come on I'll give you a lift home. I need to grab my index back from Yonghoon. Bye everyone," Seoho waved as Keonhee and him left.

"Bye," Keonhee called over his shoulder. The remaining four shouted their goodbyes.

"We should get going too," Dongju stated, standing up and pulling at Geonhak's arm. "You promised to go to the night markets with me if we have time and we won't have time if we don't leave now."

"We have hours," Geonhak complained, though he still got to his feet. 

"Have fun," Ravn chuckled as the two left. That just left Ravn and Hwanwoong. The two quietly packed up the back room. Hwanwoong wanted to say something but felt nervous. It had been a few days since Ravn properly asked him out on a date but so far no plans had been made. He took a deep breath. 

"Um, Ravn-hyung?" He said, gaining the older man's attention. 

"What's up?" He smiled. 

"So, I was wondering, about our date…"

"Oh!" Ravn exclaimed with wide eyes. "That's what kept slipping my mind today. I'm so sorry, Hwanwoong. I was meant to ask if you were free tomorrow night."

"I am," Hwanwoong smiled. 

"Awesome, ok, so don't come into work tomorrow. You know, have the day off and I'll pick you up in the afternoon. Sounds good?" Ravn asked with a smile. 

Hwanwoong nodded. "Ok."

He could feel himself getting giddy, happy that their first date was now only a day away. He was curious about what they were going to do, wanting to ask Ravn but had a feeling the older man wouldn't tell him. It didn't bother him though, he was too excited for the date that he didn't care where they went or what they did. Just to be with Ravn was more than enough for Hwanwoong. 

"Need a lift home?" Ravn asked, once the back room was all packed away and neat. 

"If that's ok," Hwanwoong answered. 

"Of course," Ravn smiled. 

The two left the store, Ravn locking up behind them before taking Hwanwoong home. They talked a little, mostly about some upcoming game events Ravn had planned. 

Hwanwoong was sad when they arrived at his apartment, he didn't want to leave Ravn's side just yet but he reminded himself of their date and was able to force himself out of the car. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," Ravn said with a smile. 

"Yeah," Hwanwoong smiled up. "See you then."

Ravn gave one last wave before driving away. Hwanwoong waited until he could no longer see the car's lights before heading up to his apartment. He was still feeling giddy and began wondering what he should wear for the date. He decided he needed help from Dongju and Keonhee. He went to grab his phone from his pocket when he realised he didn't have it on him. 

"No, please don't tell me I left it at the shop," he moaned. He thought about heading back to the shop to find his phone, using the spare key Ravn had let him keep but decided to just go in the morning. He was tired and wanted to sleep. 

As he went to unlock his apartment door, he noticed it was ajar. Frowning at it, he pushed it open while wondering if he had forgotten to lock it properly. 

Hwanwoong entered his apartment, flicking on the light and was taken aback at how messy his house was. It was obvious someone had ransacked his apartment which made his skin crawl. He looked around, unsure if anything was missing. He thought about going to Keonhee's apartment or Dongju's house. He felt unsettled being in his apartment, knowing someone had gone through it. He went to his room, deciding to find his bag and to pack some clothes. He definitely didn't want to stay and even if that meant finding a hotel to stay the night, he was willing to take the cost. 

The moment Hwanwoong entered his bedroom, something inside him told him to run. Before he was able to listen to his gut instinct, he felt a presence behind him and an arm wrapping around his neck.

"Been waiting for you," came a harsh whisper in his ear. "Sorry for the mess, got bored waiting."

Hwanwoong knew the voice, it had a familiarity to it but he couldn't properly place it. He was frozen in fear, unable to move or scream. 

"I've been watching you since you moved in. You're so delicate, makes me want to break you," the stranger chuckled and it was then Hwanwoong realised who it was. The one holding him lived in the apartment building, he always spoke to Hwanwoong and gave off an uncomfortable vibe. 

"Please let me go, Kyungjoon, and I won't tell anyone you were in here," Hwanwoong begged. He felt lips against his neck, making his skin crawl as he shuddered. 

"You won't be telling anyone anything anyway, right now you're mine and I'm not letting this opportunity go." 

Kyungjoon threw Hwanwoong onto the bed. The smaller man turned around, looking up at the other fearfully as he scurred back until he hit the bed's headboard. Kyungjoon got on the bed, making his way to the terrified man. 

"Please," Hwanwoong begged but that just made Kyungjoon grin as he put his hand around Hwanwoong's neck.

"God you're so small, honestly such a decadent treat," Kyungjoon said before he pressed his lips against Hwanwoong. Hwanwoong struggled the best he could, trying to push the other man away but Kyungjoon just squeezed his throat, making it harder to breathe. He punched Kyungjoon weakly, unable to really do anything as tears ran down his face. 

Suddenly, Kyungjoon was pulled off him. With tear filled eyes, Hwanwoong looked up at his hero, Ravn. He was a tad surprised to see the other but overjoyed to question why he was here. Ravn threw Kyungjoon onto the ground. 

"Get out before I put you in the hospital," Ravn threatened. Kyungjoon scampered to his feet and ran out the room. Ravn stepped out to make sure he left the apartment before returning to Hwanwoong, who was now curled up in a ball. He was shaking, trying his best to calm himself down now that he was able to breath. 

"Hwanwoong?" Came Ravn's soft voice. Hwanwoong looked up at him. 

"Are you ok?" He asked. "Should we call the police?"

Hwanwoong shook his head, not wanting to have to repeat what happened to an officer who probably wouldn't take him seriously.

"I just want to leave. I don't think I can handle staying at home for any longer," Hwanwoong said. 

Ravn nodded. "Alright, I can take you to Keonhee or Dongju," he offered. 

Hwanwoong slowly uncurled himself and got out of bed, doing his best to ignore the nauseous feeling that flowed over him. 

"I don't have my phone, could you call them for me?" Hwanwoong asked. Ravn held out a phone, Hwanwoong immediately recognising it as his own. 

"You left it in my car and you were getting message notifications so I figured I would bring it back," Ravn explained. 

"I'm glad you did," Hwanwoong said, wiping away the tears that were still falling. "Could you still call them while I pack?"

Ravn nodded. "I'll just be out in the lounge room, ok?"

"Ok."

Ravn hesitated for a moment before leaving the room. Now alone, Hwanwoong immediately went to the adjoining bathroom and threw up. He wiped his lips roughly, wanting to get rid of the feeling of Kyungjoon's lips off. But it couldn't, the feeling just remained. He looked at himself in the mirror, seeing marks on his neck. This made him throw up again. 

A knock at the door startled Hwanwoong. He looked over to see Ravn, looking at him concerned. He held his arms out hesitantly, inviting Hwanwoong into a hug which the younger gladly accepted. He let Ravn hold him as he cried into his chest, not a word needing to be spoken between them. Only once Hwanwoong had calmed down did Ravn speak.

"Dongju said he'll meet us at his. Keonhee is going to head over there too," he said. Hwanwoong just nodded to let the older man know he was listening. 

"Do you need help packing?"

Hwanwoong shook his head. Ravn let him go and he went about his room, packing clothes into a bag. Once he was ready, he followed Ravn out of his apartment, locking the door and checking it before heading downstairs to the car. He still felt shaken up from the experience and wanted to sleep somewhere he could feel safe. 

Dongju greeted Hwanwoong at the door, pulling him into a protective hug before bringing him to the lounge room. Ravn disappeared down the hallway with Hwanwoong's bag.

"Are you ok?" Dongju asked as they sat down on the couch. Hwanwoong shook his head, not feeling up to talking. Dongju pulled him back into a hug, letting the shorter man's head on his shoulder

"You will be ok," Dongju murmured softly as he stroked Hwanwoong's back gently. "I promise you."

Hwanwoong truly believed those words as he relaxed into Dongju. He felt safe with the younger man. 

"Keonhee-hyung will be here soon, with ice cream and I have some movies we can watch to take your mind off tonight," Dongju said. 

"That sounds good," Hwanwoong muttered. 

"Take care of him, Dongju," Ravn said. Hwanwoong looked over at him. 

"I will, Youngjo-hyung," Dongju promised. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hwanwoong. But if you're not up to a date, just let me know. I'll understand," Ravn said.

"Ok," Hwanwoong responded quietly. Ravn said goodbye before leaving the two alone. Part of Hwanwoong wanted him to stay but the other part was unsure. He was feeling vulnerable and didn't really want Ravn to see him in such a state before they even had their first date. He went back to relaxing into Dongju's hold, trying his best to forget the night's events and instead think about what Ravn possibly had planned for their date. 


	6. Chapter 6

Spending the night with Dongju and Keonhee helped Hwanwoong feel better, he still had marks on his neck but Dongju had plans to make them disappear with makeup. Hwanwoong was grateful to have the two to help him. If he didn't have them, he wasn't sure what he would do. Probably have to return home. He honestly didn't want to return to the apartment. Thankfully, he didn't have to live there anymore, Dongju offered him a place at his house to live.

It was date day with Ravn, and Hwanwoong was both excited and nervous. Dongju agreed to do Hwanwoong up, promising he was going to be drop dead gorgeous.

"Is bleaching my hair necessary?" Hwanwoong asked, trying to keep still for Dongju who was currently in the process of treating his hair.

"No but I've been curious about how you would look with blonde hair," Dongju answered. 

"Just be grateful he knows what he's doing," Keonhee chuckled, who's hair was also being bleached. 

"Exactly, besides what's the point of being friends with a hair and makeup stylist if they can't use you as guinea pigs?" Dongju stated. Hwanwoong raised his eyebrows but couldn't look back at Dongju. 

"Yeah, it's best to just go with it," Keonhee smiled. Hwanwoong sighed but stayed still for Dongju. He couldn't really remember the last time he did something to his hair so he felt the change would do him good. He did wonder what Ravn would think of his new hair. He hoped the older man would like it. 

After what felt like forever of having bleach in his hair and then toner, Hwanwoong's hair was finally blonde. He admired himself in the mirror, surprised with how different he looked with blonde hair. He liked it. 

"Ok, time to style," Dongju said, dragging Hwanwoong away from the mirror and sitting him down. "And for makeup."

"Don't you think that's a little overkill?" Hwanwoong asked. 

"Nonsense, it's your first date so you need to be gorgeous," Dongju stated as he began working with Hwanwoong's hair. The process, including makeup, took another hour before Dongju forced Hwanwoong to his bedroom to find clothes. 

"I might have to alter some of them," Dongju muttered as he looked through his wardrobe. 

"I do have clothes at home," Hwanwoong pointed out. 

"This is easier," Dongju countered, pulling out some clothes and handing them to Hwanwoong. 

Hwanwoong tried the clothes on. The black top fitted him fine but the pants were a bit long. Dongju kneeled down, pins in his mouth as he adjusted the pants. 

"Ok, the shirt is fine but I need to hem the pants, so take them off," Dongju said with a commanding tone. Hwanwoong did as told. He sat on Dongju's bed with a blanket keeping him warm as he waited for the younger man to return with the pants. Keonhee was lying with him, playing on his phone with a lollipop in his mouth.

"Do you think I might be a bit too dressed up for my date?" Hwanwoong asked. 

"I wouldn't worry about it. We've made sure Ravn-hyung is equally as hot," Keonhee said with a grin. "Legit though, if you two aren't drooling over each other, I will be very disappointed."

Hwanwoong laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Dongju returned with the pants, getting Hwanwoong to put them back on and being pleased with himself. 

"You look stunning," Dongju stated, checking Hwanwoong out. "I think I might actually be jealous, even though you're not my type."

"What is your type?" Hwanwoong asked out of curiosity. 

"Geonhak-hyung," Keonhee answered, receiving a glare from Dongju. 

"Stop saying that," the younger man pouted. "I do not have a crush on him."

"Suuuure~" Keonhee elongated the word in a sing-song manner. Dongju picked up a pillow from the bed and whacked the taller man in the face. 

"I thought you were dating Geonhak-hyung with how clingy you are when it comes to him," Hwanwoong said, receiving an icy stare from Dongju.

"We're just friends," Dongju crossed his arms and pouted. "That's what he said anyway."

"Oh my god, did you actually ask him out?" Keonhee stared at Dongju in shock.

"Yeah and he said no, so drop it. Please." Dongju muttered the last word. Keonhee got out of bed and pulled the younger man into a hug. 

"Oh Dongie," Keonhee cooed, stroked Dongju's hair. "You should have told me, I would have been over in a heartbeat with ice cream and movies."

"I know, but I just wanted to be alone after he rejected me. I'm ok, I promise," Dongju hugged Keonhee back before the two broke apart. "Anyway, tonight isn't about me."

The two looked over at Hwanwoong, who had remained quiet during their exchanges. 

"Let's finish you off before Youngjo-hyung gets here," Dongju smiled.

Hwanwoong felt good as he waited for Ravn outside of Dongju's house. His confidence came from seeing how good he looked. Ravn's car pulled up and Hwanwoong got in, suddenly feeling nervous about the date. 

"Wow," Ravn said upon seeing Hwanwoong. "Just wow."

Hwanwoong smiled shyly. Ravn looked handsome, dressed in a black jacket over a red top and black pants. He had light makeup on and his hair styled just enough to not really look like it was touched. Hwanwoong felt taken aback slightly, unable to grasp the concept that he was going on a date with this man beside him.

"Honestly, same to you. Just wow," Hwanwong murmured, feeling suddenly too shy to speak. 

Ravn chuckled as he drove them somewhere. Hwanwoong was curious about where they were going, still knowing nothing. 

"Ok, so this might be weird but in the glove box is a blindfold. Are you ok putting it on? I have a surprise for you," Ravn said. 

"Sure," Hwanwoong opened the glove box and took the blindfold out. "This isn't how I find out you're really a serial killer right?"

That made Ravn laugh. "I promise you I'm not a serial killer. Besides, too many people know you're with me."

"What if you are all a part of a cult and I'm the virgin sacrifice?" Hwanwoong gasped dramatically.

"Well, it only works if you are a virgin so are you a virgin?" Ravn asked. 

"No comment," Hwanwoong put the blindfold on, regretting saying anything. 

"Wait, wait,  _ are  _ you a virgin?" Ravn asked again, sounding surprised.

"Wow, what a beautiful night tonight, you can really see the darkness," Hwanwoong said, obviously not able to see a thing but wanting to change the subject.

"Ok, I'll drop it," Ravn chuckled. Hwanwoong heard him turn the radio on, music filling the car as the older man drove. 

After what felt like an eternity, Hwanwoong felt the car stop. He heard Ravn get out of the car and waited for his own door to be open. 

"Ok, we're here," Ravn said. Hwanwoong unbuckled his seat belt and reached out, his hand getting grabbed by Ravn's. The older man helped him walk until he was stopped and the blindfold was removed. 

Hwanwoong was in awe at the sight in front of him. They were at the cliffside where they had their first date, a picnic blanket was spread out with a picnic basket on top. A few lights were spread around, giving off just enough lighting for them to see. 

"Wow," Hwanwoong said as he walked over to the blanket. Ravn followed him and they both sat down. 

"Did you set this all up today?" Hwanwoong asked.

"Nah, Geonhak and Seoho helped me. They were here not too long ago, we actually passed them on the way," Ravn answered with a smile. 

"This is really amazing, Youngjo-hyung," Hwanwoong said, deciding to drop Ravn's nickname. This made Ravn's smile grow. 

"It honestly feels rare to hear my actual name," he chuckled. "I think only Dongju ever calls me Youngjo."

"Well, it's a date. I feel like I should use your name."

The two talked as they ate the picnic and stared out to the vast canvas of stars. It was a soothing night, Hwanwoong didn't feel any nervousness and anxiety. He was happy and calm, in awe of the stars and of the man beside him. 

"It's getting late," Ravn mentioned, looking at his watch. 

"What time is it?" Hwanwoong asked, curious over how much time had passed. 

"Almost midnight," Ravn answered, giving Hwanwoong a smile when the younger man looked at him surprised. 

"Whoa, doesn't even feel like it. I don't think I've ever enjoyed myself so much," Hwanwoong smiled. 

"Good," Ravn leaned over, his hand tenderly touching Hwanwoong's cheek. The younger man leaned forward, letting the older man's lips touch his own. The kiss was much like their first one, from their first time on the cliffside. But this time it lasted for longer and Hwanwoong's brain didn't short circuit on him. This time he was able to enjoy it, deepening it and letting out a small whine when Ravn eventually pulled away. 

Ravn chuckled softly. "We should head home. Would you like me to take you back to Dongju's? I'm sure he and Keonhee are waiting to hear all the juicy details."

"Honestly, can I stay with you? I don't want to do anything, just so we're clear but I just don't want to leave your side just yet," Hwanwoong said, looking away shyly.

"Sure, come on. Help me pack up."

The two got up, packed away the picnic and headed off. Hwanwoong felt his eyes drooping on the way back to Ravn's, tiredness taking a strong hold over him. It wasn't until he was jerked awake by Ravn did he realise he fell asleep.

"We're here," Ravn smiled. Hwanwoong got out of the car and sleepily followed Ravn up to his apartment. He could feel himself slipping back into sleep, Ravn guiding him to the bedroom.

"You want to borrow a shirt to sleep in?" Ravn asked. Hwanwoong nodded, beginning to remove his clothes. Too tired to really care at that moment as he took a shirt from Ravn and got into it. He slipped into Ravn's bed, falling asleep long before the older man even joined him. 

Youngjo couldn't help but smile down at Hwanwoong's small sleeping form. He brushed some hair out of the younger man's face, his fingers softly running down Hwanwoong's jawline. He found the smaller man beautiful beyond anything, whether he wore makeup or not. He thought, hoped even, that this man would be in his life for a long time to come. 

"You're so beautiful," he murmured to the sleeping man before changing and joining Hwanwoong in bed. He wrapped his arm around Hwanwoong, holding him close and enjoying the warmth he had to offer. Youngjo kissed the crown of Hwanwoong's head before closing his eyes and happily letting sleep take him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if this is a good chapter to end with or if I will do one more chapter to finish it off. Will see.


End file.
